《TAIPEI TIMES》Lai urges PRC to abandon expansionism

President William Lai speaks during a reception for foreign correspondents in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Screen grab from the Presidential Office’s Flickr page

OPPOSING COERCION: The president thanked the G7 for its support for the ‘status quo,’ saying Taiwan is willing to help in maintaining peace and stability in the Strait

By Chen Yun / Staff reporter President William Lai （賴清德） yesterday urged China to abandon its military expansion in the South and East China seas, and the Taiwan Strait, as well as any use of force against Taiwan.

Taiwan remains willing, on the basis of equality and dignity, to engage in exchanges and cooperation with China in pursuit of peaceful and mutually beneficial development, he said at a reception for foreign correspondents in Taipei.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Taiwan’s first direct presidential election, Lai said.

Three decades ago, despite missile threats from China, the nation went ahead with the vote, sending a message to the international community that sovereignty rests with the people, that only Taiwan’s 23 million people can decide its future, that the Republic of China （ROC） and the People’s Republic of China （PRC） are not subordinate to each other, and that Taiwan is not part of the PRC, he said.

Over the past 30 years, Taiwan has continued to shape its future through elections and bolster its democracy through successive peaceful transfers of power, which underscores the “irreversibility” of its democratic system, Lai said, adding that the international community has recognized the nation’s progress in areas such as democracy, freedom, global competitiveness and economic growth.

Taiwan has earned the trust of global partners in supply chains, advanced semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence applications and computer infrastructure, he said.

These achievements demonstrate that by engaging with the world and maintaining its commitment to democracy and freedom, Taiwan has been able to achieve sustained prosperity and development, he added.

As the US and Iran move toward a peace agreement, there are signs of hope for stability in the Middle East, Lai said, expressing hope that the Russia-Ukraine war would also end as soon as possible and allow Ukrainians to move beyond the suffering of war.

Turning to the Indo-Pacific region, Lai thanked the G7 for reiterating that no unilateral attempt to change the “status quo” would be accepted, and opposing the use of force or coercion in the Taiwan Strait, as well as military expansion in the East and South China seas.

Taiwan is willing to work with the international community, in line with the G7’s position to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, he said.

Lai also expressed hope that the US would approve a US$14 billion arms sale “as soon as possible,” reiterating that the democratic nation “rejects unification” with China.

“Taiwan’s efforts to safeguard its national security, uphold its democratic and free way of life, and reject unification and the rule of the Chinese Communist Party should not be seen as a provocation against China or paint Taiwan as a troublemaker in the region,” he said.

Additional reporting by Reuters 新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES